Renowned dairyman Don Bennink’s leadership and unwavering standard of excellence have had a profound impact on the dairy industry in Florida and around the world. A native of western New York, Bennink began milking cows in junior high school and would continue until his graduation from Cornell University in 1963. Slowly he expanded operations while […]

Richard Gaskalla spent four decades on the front lines defending Florida agriculture from plant pests and diseases and protecting markets and the environment. Throughout his regulatory career, he was hailed as astute, fair-minded and empathetic to producers under siege by phytosanitary threats. Gaskalla developed a green thumb at an early age helping his grandfather, who […]

Through the invention of his patented bulk fertilizer hauler in 1952, Sam Killebrew helped to revolutionize agriculture. The hauler provided an easier, more efficient and cost-effective way to deliver nutrients to many crops – most notably citrus, Florida’s signature crop. The machinery – known as “The Killebrew” – eliminated the manual handling of fertilizer, including […]

As president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association for 26 years, Mike Stuart has been a highly respected leader, ambassador and spokesperson for Florida specialty crop agriculture. His leadership and dedicated service have benefited the grower-shipper community statewide, regionally and nationally. Throughout his career, he has been a sought-out source of knowledge and expertise […]

Alfonso Fanjul and J. Pepe Fanjul have been an integral part of agriculture in Florida and their communities for more than 50 years. Their numerous contributions and the success of their business endeavors have contributed to the betterment of agriculture in the Everglades Agricultural Area and in the state of Florida. The Fanjul family founded […]

A Florida native who grew up in Union County on his family’s farm, Lowell Loadholtz spent a distinguished 33-year career with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences as an Extension service director and agent in Escambia, Brevard and Okeechobee counties. His leadership and commitment to Florida agriculture has benefited and helped […]

﻿ Harold Mikell has lived his entire life in service to agriculture. Now 91, he has retired from two successful careers: first in forestry, then as a congressional agricultural liaison. Mikell’s interest in forestry took root his senior year in high school when he planted trees on the family property in Trenton, Fla., as an […]

Eugene Badger was born in Hastings, Florida, and grew up on his family’s potato farm. This early connection to agriculture grew into a lifelong commitment to advancing Florida agriculture and advocating on its behalf. Badger graduated from the University of Florida in 1949 with a B.S.A. in agriculture economics and education. Following graduation, he began […]

What We Do

The Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame honors men and women who have made lasting contributions to agriculture in this state and to mentoring of our youth, who represent the future of agriculture in Florida.

Thank You

The video profiles of the inductees on this website have been been produced by the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida. More information is available at: http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/